“Often compared to her literary idol Ralph Waldo Emerson, with whom she shared an abiding interest in the natural world, Ms. Oliver combined a precise, unfussy style with an almost religious devotion to examining nature. … Ms. Oliver was a rarity in modern American literature — a best-selling poet, so popular she was interviewed by journalist Maria Shriver in O, the Oprah Magazine.” — The Washington Post
Blog
Why’s Everyone In Cremona So Nervous About Noise Right Now? It’s About The Strads
Eventually, the centuries-old string instruments for which this Italian city is famous will become too fragile to play. “So that future generations won’t miss out on hearing [them], three sound engineers are producing the ‘Stradivarius Sound Bank’ — a database storing all the possible tones that four instruments selected from the Museo del Violino’s collection can produce.” But the mics are extremely sensitive … — The New York Times
Owner Of New Banksy Mural On Welsh Garage Sells It For Six-Figure Sum
Well, it’s one thing to do if you find a Banksy on your property one morning. The garage’s owner, Ian Lewis, has sold the piece, Seasons Greetings, to the Essex-based Banksy expert John Brandler but it will stay in Port Talbot, at least for the time being.” — The Guardian
Netflix Refuses To Remove Footage Of Quebec Rail Disaster From ‘Bird Box’ And ‘Travelers’
Video of the 2013 derailment and explosion of an oil-tanker train that killed 47 people in the town of Lac-Mégantic features in both Netflix original productions, and, despite heavy criticism, the company says that the footage will not be cut. (Company reps say they’ll be more sensitive in the future.) — CBC
New Multi-Million-Pound Regional Cultural Fund To Compensate For Local Funding Cuts
Administrators in the UK culture ministry took proposals for specific projects of up to £7 million. The first five winners, to share £20 million, are the Thames Estuary, Wakefield in Yorkshire, Worcester in the English Midlands, Grimsby in northeast England, and Plymouth in the southwest. — The Guardian
UK Think Tank Report: Restrict Access To “Low Value” Arts Degrees
Low value? The right-leaning group says that some arts degrees offer poor income prospects for graduates and little economic return for the government that supports such degrees. This thinking, of course, assumes that “value” is purely economic… – The Stage
Women Writers: Busting The Preconceptions For Commercial Success
Ann O’Loughlin: “All women writers face an uphill struggle to have their work recognised in the same way as their male counterparts, but for those of us writing bestselling commercial fiction, there is a mountain to trudge up every time.” – Irish Times
How Did The Catholic Church Go From Being A Major Patron Of The Arts To… Meh
For centuries, the Catholic Church was one of the world’s most important collectors and patrons of art, but in recent decades, the Vatican’s holiday nativity scene has often been one of its most high-profile artistic contributions. This shift didn’t happen overnight—or even in a generation—but across centuries, and it is inseparable from the evolution of modern European nations, the secularization of public life, and the rise of the art market. – Artsy
UK Toughens Age Restriction Ratings On Movies
“It’s enough that a 12-year-old knows that a rape has taken place. They do not need to see it, no matter how discreetly it’s filmed.” – BBC
Ottawa’s National Gallery CEO Steps Down After Ten Years
“I’m especially proud of pumping up the volume on all things indigenous. We’re playing a leadership role in the world here in Canada [recognising indigenous work]. We talked about that since I first got here.” Mayer says it was an “emotional moment” when the museum opened its Canadian and Indigenous Galleries in June 2017, covering 5,000 years of creative output in the region, from First Nations art and objects to contemporary work. – The Art Newspaper